Seriously though, my boat is probably the most coveted boat in town, at least amongst the diving crowd. When I leave it at the dock, there's inevitably someone standing there oooing and awwwing and full of questions. There are a couple of larger RIBS in town, but mine is the only private one. They are just very rare up here, especially Hurricanes.

Seriously though, my boat is probably the most coveted boat in town, at least amongst the diving crowd. When I leave it at the dock, there's inevitably someone standing there oooing and awwwing and full of questions. There are a couple of larger RIBS in town, but mine is the only private one. They are just very rare up here, especially Hurricanes.

Tell me about it, we rarely ever see a RIB around my place unless it's the Coast Guard. Last summer every time I was out on the Ottawa river someone flaged us down for some assistance.

I have an ex-USCG 6meter Searider with an Orange kevlar hull, black "A-frame" and towing post. I am the local dive team leader and was joking with Sheriff about putting on a yellow flashing light when he offered me a full blue/red light bar!?!?!

Yup, happens all the time. Last weekend I was out near Toronto and the Toronto Harbour Police were pulling boats over for safety checks continuously. When I went past, wearing a black Floater jacket in my grey and black Hurricane, they coppers just waved at me. There is a naval reserves yard nearby, and I assume they figured I was from there!

John, you mention the Ottawa River... when we dive Rockport/Brockville, we get flagged down almost daily.... I'm happy to help, but I'm constantly amazed at the number of people out in boats with no fuel/radio/cell phone/paddles/bailing bucket/brains. My total compensation in perhaps 8 tows: precisely one luke warm beer!

Yup, happens all the time. Last weekend I was out near Toronto and the Toronto Harbour Police were pulling boats over for safety checks continuously. When I went past, wearing a black Floater jacket in my grey and black Hurricane, they coppers just waved at me. There is a naval reserves yard nearby, and I assume they figured I was from there!

John, you mention the Ottawa River... when we dive Rockport/Brockville, we get flagged down almost daily.... I'm happy to help, but I'm constantly amazed at the number of people out in boats with no fuel/radio/cell phone/paddles/bailing bucket/brains. My total compensation in perhaps 8 tows: precisely one luke warm beer!

I'm getting new rescue vests and I wear dark blue cargo pants when its not warm out and the boat is all black. Everyone waves at us and my wife thought people where being friendly.

Best one last year was 2 guys anchored to do some fishing right in a 75 ft wide marked channel. I was behind two big cruisers that had to almost stop to pass by them and when I doubled up next to the cruisers the guys fishing freaked out thinking I was the coast guard. So I played along and stayed behind them till they got going out of there. I assist as much as I can when the Coast Guard asks on the radio since they only have a few boats around here and the locks can prevent them most of the time from getting to a call.

As for military Ribs, we don't see any around here at all.

Man I can't wait to get on the water, been working 7 days a week so no time so far. Next week I'll go scare a few on the water.

This all sounds familiar. We get a lot of that! So far we've been mistaken for Cops, Customs and Fisheries Patrol. I think it's the combination of blue tubes, twin motors and day-glo attire. Generally the other party just looks sullen, shifty or guilty. I do wonder what they're up to?

This all sounds familiar. We get a lot of that! So far we've been mistaken for Cops, Customs and Fisheries Patrol. I think it's the combination of blue tubes, twin motors and day-glo attire. Generally the other party just looks sullen, shifty or guilty. I do wonder what they're up to?

Exactly what I told my wife, they wave at us thinking where cops or coast guard most likely because they're guilty of something.

Exactly what I told my wife, they wave at us thinking where cops or coast guard most likely because they're guilty of something.

LOL... We should start pulling these shifty b*ggers over and confiscating their beer etc.

When I was in high school, a friend bought an old California Highway Patrol unmarked car at an auction. We used to have great fun "patrolling" all of the local "parking" spots. Nothing like pulling up behind a buddies car with steamed up windows with the high beams on and then watching the flurry of activity inside.

And yes, I appreciate that we were the losers that weren't "getting any"...